This character wall is my favourite feature of my physical classroom. Some of the pictures on this wall have been with me for over 10 years now and I feel I am still learning about the people in the photographs. You see, my character wall is a source of inspiration for in-depth characters, playbuilding, compositions and creative writing in my class. Over the years I have seen these images come to life and each time I am able to glimpse briefly into the world in which they live. Occasionally I add different photos to the mix and it surprises me how quickly the kids notice our new visitors.

The photos consist of people of various age, gender, socio-economic status and cultures. You can do it the old school way (cut and laminate) or make a board on Pinterest for the digital classroom. Students love it as it pushes them to think outside teenage stereotypes and assists them in conceiving complex characters. Character wallshave a place in the English classroom, the Geography classroom (an opportunity to write about different cultures), the History or Science classroom (think anthropology) or even a primary school setting.

Puppetry is one of the most beautiful forms of theatre and one of the most freeing. It is the art of giving an inanimate object life. When I taught Year 8 Drama I always used puppetry as my first playbuilding unit. It was a safe medium for my kids. They could hide behind their puppet, but still have a voice. They were able to play without the fear of failing. It is less confronting then standing directly in front of an audience and it is a perfect stepping stone to build presentation skills.

Puppetry is also transformational. It is not limited to realistic characters. You can be anything... a mythical being, talking tree, a beautiful animal. This means the possibilities for creative expression are endless.

For students with special needs puppetry can be an incredible medium for releasing their voices and creative potential. Students with physical disabilities become less vulnerable. Students with Asperger’s syndrome, autism and even anxiety find safety in the puppet and can really excel on stage as a result. ESL or language impaired students could use a silent form of puppetry such as shadow puppetry to voice their ideas without the pressure of performing vocally. It is an all-inclusive, highly accessible form of theatre making it the perfect tool for the classroom.

I encourage all teachers to try puppetry in their classes to give their students a creative voice. I am using shadow puppetry in Religion at the moment to bring the Parable of the Sower to life. You could use mechanical puppets in Science to present research on a particular topic or conduct an experiment. Employ hand puppets to have a global summit on climate change or utilise one of the many puppetry apps to interview historical characters about their contribution to society. Puppetry would also be a great unit to introduce the elements of dramatic narrative in English.

The students in my class are currently using the PuppetPal app to work on their vocal skills in Drama and explore the structure of a narrative. The kids love it and they must work collaboratively to complete the task. Puppet Pals 2 also has a lot of historical characters to choose from. It would be a great tool for English, Languages, History and Cultural Studies.